


Different approaches

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Fights, First Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 20:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17210597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: It's their first Christmas and Merlin should have been happy. Just that he was not. All they ever did lately, was fight. It doesn't feel at all Christmas-y in the Emrys/Pendragon household.





	Different approaches

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a drabble for Camelot Drabble, but it somehow ran away with me, so there.

"That's too big, we'll never fit that in!"

"It's not my fault, it's just that big."

"You could have gotten a smaller one!"

Just one of the many arguments they had since they prepared for Christmas. Merlin was used to a small, cozy house with a tree that had to fit in a corner and was lovingly decorated with old mis-matching baubles and things he had made when he was a kid. For Arthur, on the other hand, there had to be a Christmas tree in every one of the larger rooms and they were decorated by professionals, who brought in the baubles that were en vogue that year. 

That Arthur didn't want to realize he didn't live in Camelot Mansion anymore and that the space they had in their little rented home was very limited, made Merlin furious. He loved Christmas and he had pictured his first Christmas with Arthur so differently. Now, they were constantly fighting. Should there be fake snow on the windows - an enthusiastic yes from Arthur and a strict no from Merlin, because...who would clean the mess off the windows in January? - if they should put up lots of colourful flashing lights - another bright-eyed yes from Arthur and another no from Merlin, if lights, no flashing and definitely not different colours, please - if they should have a turkey for Christmas - what else would you serve? from Merlin and No way, we'll be eating turkey sandwiches until Easter from Arthur - if they should put up a nativity scene in the little yard they had - only if I can put a dinosaur in it, too, from Merlin and a it'll only get stolen from Arthur...Merlin didn't really know what they were fighting over in this one, they were on the same page even though for different reasons. 

The atmosphere was tense for days and the tiniest little thing set them off. It felt as if they were fighting for fighting's sake. Merlin didn't like it at all. Arthur hardly talked to him and when he said something it was definitely the wrong thing and Merlin got all grumpy again. This was not what Christmas should look like. Even though neither of them was religious, it was still a time for friends and families and they had never felt less than a family than now. Some days Merlin wasn't even sure they could be considered friends. 

They had met the previous January when Arthur had rushed to return a gift that he didn't like and Merlin, who would never be able to afford anything so pricey and who had just been out killing some time looking at the stressed gift-returners, had commented on how ugly the golden watch was that someone had gifted the blond man with. The gold didn't even match the colour of his hair and the watch was generally an artrocity. Who on earth still needed watches when you had your smartphone along? 

He knew he shouldn't have mentioned it, the salesperson had thrown him a very dark look, but he couldn't keep it in. Merlin was fully aware that the blond man would lash out at him but to his surprise he had laughed and agreed with him. He had told the salesperson to put the payment back on their account - that this meant the man's family had an account at this jeweller's and could just take things and the payment modalities would be dealt with without anyone even mentioning prices was something Merlin should learn a lot later - and invited Merlin for a coffee as a thank you for rescuing him from just taking a watch that was a little less horrible. 

It had been a whirlwind of a year with them dating and very quickly deciding they should move in together, house-hunting and moving and now all Merlin wanted was a quiet little Christmas where he could snuggle up to Arthur and they could have hot chocolate and look at their tree and just take this time of year as it was meant, as a breather. 

Arthur had different ideas. They had only just moved and there was a whole room that was still full of unpacked boxes, but Arthur had already invited people over or agreed to come to someone else's Christmas party. 

That was a world very alien to Merlin. In Ealdor, you had gone visiting friends in December and yes, sometimes you went out to the pub and had a drink or two, but you never went to parties with hired DJs and champaign instead of eggnog. If he were honest, you didn't do that in Ealdor at any other time of year either. 

"Gwaine and Percy will be over by five thirty, Percy will bring his infamous pudding and Leon should show up at around six." Arthur announced as he finally managed to squeeze the overly large tree in the only space they could fit a tree at all. "Tomorrow morning, we'll go pick your mother up from the airport and at around two-ish, mother and father are going to arrive."

Merlin sighed. Not only had Arthur asked all their friends over on Christmas Eve, he hadn't even asked him if it was alright. It wasn't alright. As much as he wanted to see his mam for Christmas, he wasn't sure if he could deal with Arthur's parents the next day. Merlin was done. He was worn out. He had no spark of energy left to make it through this day. December and all the little fights it had come with had been too exhausting. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to clean the place again, put up the decorations on the tree, starting dinner for so many people and have the house ready and the food on the table on time on Christmas Day for the family. He slumped down on the couch, throwing the huge Christmas tree evil looks as if it was the tree's fault.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Arthur, who had brought in boxes with freshly bought lights and shiny ornaments, set them down and looked at Merlin. 

"Everything."

"What?" Arthur's head shot up in alarm. 

"I'm tired, Arthur, I'm so tired. Why do we have to fight all the time?"

Arthur came over and sat on the coffee table. "What do you mean, fight all the time?"

"We've done nothing but fight all month long." Merlin sighed, his exhaustion really showing now. 

"We did no such thing, what makes you think that?"

Arthur's face just showed confusion when Merlin looked up. 

"We were fighting about where to go and what to do, which decorations to put up and what we can't do, what to have for dinner, how to decorate the tree. Even the size of the tree was an issue...where are we in all of this, Arthur? If we can't even agree on broccoli or cauliflower...where does it leave us?" Merlin couldn't help that stubborn little tear rolling down his face. 

Blinking a few times, Arthur said nothing for a moment. "Is that how you feel? I...I never saw it that way. It's just...we have grown up with very different Christmas traditions and I thought it was fun showing you what December means for me. I didn't even realize that you thought we were fighting over things. Just...discussing what we are used to, trying to find a compromise and get a feel for what is Christmas for us."

Merlin swallowed hard.

Reaching over, Arthur brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb. "You know what? I'll just call everyone and cancel for tonight, so we can have a quiet Christmas Eve, watch a movie and just stuff our faces with the turkey. It's too late to cancel that."

"What?" Merlin blinked. He had been under the impression that Arthur had bought a huge bird that was waiting to be put in the oven downstairs in the freezer? Or hopefully right next to the freezer as he had asked Arthur to take it out so it could defrost. 

"What what?" Arthur threw him one of his trade-mark innocent looks. "You know I can't cook. I can't leave it to you to cook for all our friends, so when you asked me to take care of the turkey, I called a catering company." He shrugged. "We might get sick of the sight of broccoli and cauliflower and all the other things as the meal will be for ten people, but we will manage." 

Merlin stared. He kept forgetting that his boyfriend was filthy rich and even if he wouldn't work a single day in his life, he still had money to burn. It would never have occured to him to call a catering service, though. "So...no cooking?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, aside from probably making some coffee for everyone after dinner, no cooking." He smiled carefully. "I hope it's alright that the same catering service will bring in our lunch and dinner for tomorrow, too. I figured it would get pretty hectic with picking up your mam and my parents' arrival, so...And the cleaning service will take care of any messes that might happen tonight while the guys are over."

"So...you got it all figured out." Merlin wasn't sure if he liked that or not. It all went Arthur's way once again and that had been the reason for all their little fights that Arthur obviously didn't even realize happened. 

"No, not everything. I obviously didn't see that this isn't how you want it to be. I didn't figure out that you thought we were fighting. What is it that you want, Merlin?"

Merlin sniffed. "Can we...can we have a quiet day after Christmas? Just you and me?"

Arthur moved over to sit next to Merlin. "You know what? Do you think your mother would mind very much if we let her go to the Opera on Boxing Day with my parents and not come along?"

Merlin turned to look at Arthur. A tiny little smile showed on his face. "I don't think she would. She knows that we're not too keen on the opera."

"Then we can have our quiet day on Boxing Day. No cleaning of the house, no cooking, nobody else, just you and me." 

"I'd very much like that." Merlin leaned his head against Arthur's shoulder. The weight of the world fell off of him. Arthur had thought things through and not carelessly put more and more work on Merlin's shoulders. He hadn't meant their little discussions as fights and now that he knew that it had seemed like that to Merlin, he tried everything he could to righten it. 

They sat like this in silence for a while before Merlin's gaze fell on the huge tree again. "What are we going to do with this?"

"Hmmm." Arthur pulled Merlin closer and nuzzled into his hair. "Difficult. You might be right, it might be a tiny bit too large for this room."

"Too late to get another one." Which would have made no sense anyways. 

"What do you want to do with it? I don't have old things to put in it, but I got lots of different kinds of decoration. Pick what you like best. And I think I saw a shoe box of yours that had 'Christmas' scribbled on it. Why don't you get that?"

Merlin scrambled up to find the box. It held little things that he had made with his mam over the years. He would have to see what Arthur brought, though, to decide if it should go up on the tree together. 

In the end, the tree had a weird mix of modern coloured baubles and stars made from natural straw and little felt figures, there was a Tardis ornament somewhere in the tree as well as lots of fairy lights that shone a very warm light and made the tree seem to sparkle. 

The caterers were on time and even set the table beautifully and there was just enough time to get cleaned up and dressed before the doorbell rang to announce the arrival of their first guests. 

Arthur reached over to tug at Merlin's bowtie playfully. "You're looking fantastic tonight."

"So do you." Merlin smiled. After decorating the tree, he was full of energy again. Their common Christmasses probably needed a bit more fine-tuning, but he was confident that they would be able to manage. 

Leaning in, Arthur kissed him softly. "Love you."

Merlin beamed and was just about to return the sentiment, when the doorbell was rang very impatiently, several times

Laughing, they made their way to the door to greet their friends.


End file.
